Could Essendon miss the 8?

[Slattery_20]

North's lack of games at the 'G is far from ideal, I certainly agree with that. When was the last time a Victorian team only had one game at the ground in a year? Even Fitzroy in its final year got two.

EDIT: Just realised they only got one game there in 2011 as well.

Pretty sure St Kilda, in one of their GF years, only played their first G game in rd 21-22 or so?

 

[Doss]

Pretty sure St Kilda, in one of their GF years, only played their first G game in rd 21-22 or so?

Had forgotten about that. Round 22 was indeed their first. Went from no games there in the first 21 rounds of the season, to four games in the last five weeks there.

 

[Slattery_20]

Ok. So you are conceding that you were just lucky getting the eagles on a day where they had a number out, or are you claiming that it was a good win?

You've gone from "did anyone think they were a flag chance" to "yes, they were a lock for top 4 even missing those guys", to, now "but were they full strength?" - a point which no-one's even disputed.
10/10 for the backpedal, and an elephant stamp for you.

.....We did play a stronger West Coast 22 than you did.

Quite right on that point... the one I've never even argued... gold star sticker.

I don't even know why you can't admit, that the form of various sides has changed, over the course of 3 months or so. Are you really that petty?

 

[MightyHawks]

You've gone from "did anyone think they were a flag chance" to "yes, they were a lock for top 4 even missing those guys", to, now "but were they full strength?" - a point which no-one's even disputed.
10/10 for the backpedal, and an elephant stamp for you.


Quite right on that point... the one I've never even argued... gold star sticker.

I don't even know why you can't admit, that the form of various sides has changed, over the course of 3 months or so. Are you really that petty?

Everyone rated the eagles as a flag chance early on, they're only being discounted since they lost to the Swans and clearly aren't going to finish top 2

I haven't changed my position at all. Eagles were expected to be top 4 pre season, unbeaten in first 6 rounds - came to Melbourne with a below strength team and lost badly to Essendon.

No one at the time rated Essendon a top 4 side on the basis of that win over West Coast

You have been arguing that it was a terrific win for Essendon - and while it's still your best win of the year it's the win of a side that's fighting for a spot in the 8 not that of a top 4 side

Yes the form of sides can change during the season.

No one at Hawthorn is hanging their hat on the win over Essendon. We are quite aware that you had a number of players out and you put up slightly more fight than GWS

 

[MightyHawks]

Do you really have that short a memory, or are you just being wilfully misleading?

Essendon won six out of nine games heading into the finals last year. It's a far cry from this bullshit that is continually pedalled around here, that Essendon do nothing after about Round 8.

Last year, we won six out of nine heading into finals. GET IT?

You did? That sounds like good form and is probably why you made the finals.

Who were the 6 sides you beat out of interest?

 

[Doss]

You did? That sounds like good form and is probably why you made the finals.

Who were the 6 sides you beat out of interest?

Geelong, Richmond, Adelaide in Adelaide, Sydney, Footscray and Port from memory. So one great side, one good side, three reasonably average to poor sides, and one terrible side.

 

[Doss]

Noting that your great win was in Round 15, you'd have to say you didn't beat much after Geelong - winning only one of your last 4 challenging matches, which is why no one was surprised when you lost the Elimination Final.

Yeah, no arguments there. It was hardly a surprise.

Has Essendon slipped further this year in the run home? Or have you just been playing better opposition in the run home?

It's a bit early to definitively judge- obviously after Round 23 we'll be in a much better position to do so. Our run home this year is probably marginally harder than last year- we don't have gimme games like Port and Dogs this year, but also don't have a trip to West Coast like we did last year. So it goes both ways to an extent.

Some may suggest that Geelong took you lightly, as they were unbeaten and you had just been destroyed by Hawthorn... certainly the bloke who put the big $$$ on the Cats at $1.01 thought they were specials

It was probably a combination of Geelong being a little complacent, and Essendon having nothing to lose. At that point our season already looked over. Hird and Thompson also coached very well that night, and made some well-thought out positional moves (Welsh to Scarlett, for example).

As Richmond have found this year, there's no point taking good sides by surprise if you then lose to teams like Gold Coast or Melbourne

No arguments there either. If all other results stayed the same but we had beaten Melbourne, we'd be virtually certainties for the finals right now. I guess every team has 'that' game- Hawthorn's would of course be the Richmond game.

They're annoying as all hell for supporters, but they tend to happen!

 

[rainman06]

Fans of clubs who hate Essendon are more irrational about Essendon than Essendon fans are. Unbelievable.

 

[KeilorUnder9s]

Bombers won't beat us, we always take turns winning. They had Dreamtime this year.

 

[finders]

The way that the Bombers are playing ATM they should miss the finals esp with the tough draw ahead.

 

[Rocky_Star_Pro]

Bombers won't beat us, we always take turns winning. They had Dreamtime this year.

Wouldn't surprise me to see the Tigers lose this week, hit a good form as soon as you play us and beat us. It's the sort of thing Richmond do haha, but yeah we'll need to be at our best and can't drop that game!

 

[Jock]

Very doubtful they will beat North, they are playing too well, if the Blues roll them then they really are out of form and Richmond will be every chance to roll them too. Very ironic we may derail the Bombers again. It's in their own hands, they should scrub a win.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Very doubtful they will beat North, they are playing too well, if the Blues roll them then they really are out of form and Richmond will be every chance to roll them too. Very ironic we may derail the Bombers again. It's in their own hands, they should scrub a win.

Carlton v Essendon is always 50/50 no matter form. And Richmond will be tough to beat as well. Big games are never clear cut.

 

[bombermick]

Hopefully we can get close to our best team out there soon and we can get a couple of wins. Most Bomber supporters didn't expect a flag - but it's certainly been a disappointing finish. What a let-down if we missed the finals.

 

[KeilorUnder9s]

Wouldn't surprise me to see the Tigers lose this week, hit a good form as soon as you play us and beat us. It's the sort of thing Richmond do haha, but yeah we'll need to be at our best and can't drop that game!

haha I was joking mate you blokes will smash us I reckon especially if we lose to the Lions which is highly likely. There is always next year I guess (Only been saying this for 31 years).... Im gonna go to the Hawks vs Cats tonight and pretend Brown and Gold is Black and Gold...

 

[Lord Nicholson]

haha I was joking mate you blokes will smash us I reckon especially if we lose to the Lions which is highly likely. There is always next year I guess (Only been saying this for 31 years).... Im gonna go to the Hawks vs Cats tonight and pretend Brown and Gold is Black and Gold...

You're forgetting the traditional Richmond "last few rounds" resurgence to get people excited for the next year.

Robbed Sydney of a home final last year and changd the course of history forever!

 

[KeilorUnder9s]

You're forgetting the traditional Richmond "last few rounds" resurgence to get people excited for the next year.

Robbed Sydney of a home final last year and changd the course of history forever!

If we robbed you of finals this season would "The Weapon" be disarmed?

 

[Lance Uppercut]

If we robbed you of finals this season would "The Weapon" be disarmed?

not sure what's worse, puns about The Weapon or James "The Missile" Magnussen?

 

[EasternTiger]

If we robbed you of finals this season would "The Weapon" be disarmed?

He will be remembered as the architect of the 'If more is better, then too much is just right' fitness program.

 

[Easy Slips Catch]

Carlton v Essendon is always 50/50 no matter form. And Richmond will be tough to beat as well. Big games are never clear cut.

Big games! What a cracka!

 

[Catswin12]

If we pull our fingers out

I think those 4 fingers are stuck.

 

[markm106]

Could be out after tomorrows game. A four goal loss will see Freo slip into eighth. I would say crows should win by at least that.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Yep, would take a huge effort to make it from here.

 

[Jobe Watson]

I'd say we're about a 30/70 chance to make it now. We'll be getting a lot of players back for the North game next week but by then it might be too late.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Who is a certainty to return next week for the Dons? And then who would make way for them?
We'll only have Adams returning, Ziebell and Thomas still out for another week.